Drives for operating conveyors and other similar apparatus may employ variable AC frequency to control motor speed for operating the apparatus. In the mining industry, variable frequency drives (VFDs) may be used to start and adjust speed of motors used to power excavators, conveyors, mills, pumps, and other apparatus. Known variable VFD apparatus may operate using an AC power input that is transformed into a DC voltage signal. The DC voltage in turn may be transformed into a sinusoidal output whose frequency is proportional to the motor speed of a motor to be driven.
The transformation between AC and DC power in a VFD apparatus may entail substantial heating, where heat generated by the VFD apparatus is to be dissipated to avoid overheating of the VFD apparatus. In order to dissipate heat during operation, a heat sink may be provided with a VFD apparatus. In some scenarios, the heat sink may provide an effective means for removing heat generated by the VFD apparatus. In some applications, such as in certain mining operations, the ambient of a VFD apparatus may contain a high degree of dust or other particulate matter, where the dust may collect on surfaces of the VFD apparatus. Eventually dust may accumulate on surfaces such as heat sink surfaces. This accumulation may degrade operation of a heat sink and therefore may limit performance of the VFD apparatus.
It is with respect to the above the present disclosure is provided.